Haunting
by Chiera
Summary: After her grandfather's death, Kagome returns to her childhood home at the Higurashi shrine, as well as to the half-forgotten memories that seem to be awaiting her.
1. Part One - Home

**Haunting**

_by Chie_

**Summary:** After her grandfather's death, Kagome returns to her childhood home at the Higurashi shrine, as well as to the half-forgotten memories.

**Genre: **Dark, Drama, Romance, Suspense

**Rating: **M

**Universe:** AU

_I__ wrote__ this __story __for__ Freya__ Ishtar__'__s__ 'Haunted__' challenge over at Dokuga.__ Hence __the__ very __original __title __of__ this __piece. __It __will __be __told __in _**3**_ instalments._

**Disclaimer: **I own no rights to either the characters or the setting used in this story. _Inuyasha_ and its characters belong to their creator, Takahashi Rumiko. I am nothing but a fan-writer and will not benefit in any way from writing this story.

**Chie:** I hope this lil' story will be scary enough for you. You see, I'm _very_easily scared myself - which is probably partly why I wanted to enter the challenge, it's a good practice for me to step out my comfort zone on an occasion.

Part One – Home

It was pitch black.

There was no source of light. She could not see a thing.

There was nothing, only darkness.

She trembled. She was so very afraid. She was alone in the dark and it was cold. So very cold…

She was trapped in the darkness. Trapped in a cell of cold stone.

She felt the panic. Her laboured pants for breath hollowly echoed in the small, dark space.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a light brush against her shoulder.

A small voice spoke right by her ear in an urgent, hoarse whisper.

"_Kagome…"_

_._

_.  
><em>

Kagome startled awake, just as her roommate spoke again.

"Kagome, you're going to be late if you don't get up now!"

Kagome raised a trembling hand to brush away the bangs that had been glued to her forehead because of the cold sweat.

There was sympathy in the brown-haired woman's eyes when she spoke next.

"The nightmare again?"

Kagome nodded, there was no need for her to say anything, Sango knew all about the nightmare that had been plaguing her for as long as she could remember.

"It's been a long while since you last had it, hasn't it? I wonder why it recurred now of all times," the woman wondered to herself.

"I have no clue," Kagome said. She was still feeling a bit edgy after waking up from the nightmare. But the dark terror of the dream soon faded in the light of the radiant spring sun that flooded the room when Sango pulled the curtains open.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she offered gently.

Kagome shook her head.

"I think I'll be fine. After all that what's-his-face friend of Miroku's is coming with me, to go over the will."

Sango huffed in mock anger.

"It's nor what's-his-face, Kagome! It's Endou Sesshoumaru. And you should be nice to him, he's one of Miroku's best friends."

"I'll be nice to him if he's nice to me," Kagome promised, but Sango still regarded her friend dubiously.

Then, the brown-haired woman's features softened. Her dark eyes shone with worry as she fixed a telling look at her friend.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

Kagome stayed silent. No matter how hard she tried, the "_yes__"_ seemed to be stuck in her throat. In the end, she shook her head.

"I don't know," she admitted softly, hesitantly. "I haven't been there since… Well, you know."

Sango nodded slowly, concern still residing in her eyes.

"I never thought I'd be going back at all," Kagome confessed.

Sango pursed her lips. She was not quite sure if it was a good idea for Kagome to return to her childhood home. The memories of that time were still haunting her. But it was Kagome the shrine had been passed down to now that her grandfather had passed away. It had come to her as a complete surprise, but apparently the old grandfather still hadn't forgiven Kagome's mother for moving away.

"Well, I have to hurry," Kagome sighed.

Sango nodded.

"I made breakfast," she said, trying to reassure her friend with a smile. Kagome was already hesitant enough to begin with. It would not do to add fuel to the fire by confessing her personal doubts about the matter.

"Thank you, Sango," Kagome said delightedly and returned the smile.

-~H~-

An hour later Kagome was sitting on a train, looking out the window. She watched the world rush by her as she tried to get the chaos of her mind into some kind of a semblance of order. She didn't really know what she should think about the whole situation – about her grandfather's death, about his will, about the shrine, about returning to Tokyo. It was true that nothing was keeping her in Yokohama anymore, nothing but friends and family at least. While she still had not graduated college, she had finished most of her courses and now it was all down to finishing up her thesis. And even for that she had already done most of the research, and had written at least a quarter of it already. There was no reason why she could not finish the thesis in Tokyo, she could always e-mail her teachers if she had any problems with the paper, and even if a worst case scenario were to happen, there was only 28 kilometres between Yokohama and Tokyo, such a short distance took no longer than 30 minutes to travel by train.

Still, even though she could name no logical reason why she couldn't return to the Higurashi shrine in Tokyo, the idea of moving back there made her feel uneasy. Maybe it was because of the nightmare this morning… It was not the first time she had seen that dream, and a nagging feeling in her gut insisted that it would not be the last time, either. It had been years since she had last had the nightmare, but she could still recall the many nights as a child when she had woken up in the middle of the night, sweating and shaking after that dark, oppressing and disturbing dream. But why had it recurred this morning, after so many years? The very morning she would visit the shrine for the first time since the day they had left to Yokohama 16 years ago. That unsettled her perhaps more than the return itself.

With her mind so troubled and full of thoughts, the 30 minute train ride seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye. She got off the train at the station and then hailed a taxi, giving the driver the address of the law firm her grandfather's lawyer was employed at. The visit made her feel apprehensive. She had never met a lawyer before – at least not in business. Her roommate's boyfriend Miroku was a lawyer. It was an odd coincidence that the agency her grandfather had employed happened to house one of Miroku's classmates from law school. Kagome chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully, as she gazed out of the window of the cab into the busy Tokyo traffic. If Mr. lawyer was anything like Miroku, Kagome was certain they'd get along just fine – she had instantly liked the easy-going and somewhat perverted man.

The taxi navigated the streets of Tokyo and soon enough stopped. Kagome paid the fare and then stopped to look at the building. Steeling herself, she walked in.

The lobby seemed like a regular one. She walked straight to the reception, behind which two female employees were welcoming and receiving customers.

Kagome smiled to one of them after they had greeted her with their welcoming chorus.

"Hi. I'm here for the 11 o'clock appointment with Mr. Endou."

"Miss Higurashi, is it?"

Kagome nodded.

"Mr. Endou is ready to see you. His office is in the second floor. Walk through the glass doors. Mr. Endou's office is the second door on the left."

"Thank you."

Kagome set out. She tried her best to curb her anticipation or ignore the nervous way in which her stomach was knotting, as she waited for the elevator. The walk was very short, and soon she found herself standing in front of the door to Mr. Endou's office, hesitating and fidgety.

Telling herself it would all be fine, she took a deep breath and raised her hand. She had not even managed to knock yet, when a deep, smooth voice beckoned her to enter.

"Come in."

She frowned to herself, but obeyed. Kagome opened the door and stepped in.

"Sit." the commanding word would have been extremely rude, had not his tone of a voice been detachedly courteous.

Kagome obliged again and sat down. She clasped her hands in her lap and shyly peered under her bangs at the attorney who was sitting behind his desk directly in front of her.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him – mr. lawyer was nothing like what she had been expecting.

He was clad in an impeccable black suit that complimented his surprisingly tall frame. His long hair had been tied on a neat tail, and its colour was so pale that it took on a silvery hue. He had a pair of most captivating, piercing golden eyes which were silently scrutinising her.

She did not realise that she had been staring until she noticed the dryly amused way in which one of the handsome man's expressive silver eyebrows was pointedly arched.

Kagome's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she quickly averted her gaze.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Higurashi," the man murmured, the faintest of smirks tugging a corner of his lips.

The sight of that slight hint of a smile made her wish for the ground to swallow her up as her embarrassment instantly swelled. Miroku ought to have warned her that his friend was a drop-dead _gorgeous_ specimen! Ohh, the damn pervert would _so_ be hearing about this later…

"Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Endou," Kagome managed as soon as she was done mentally berating and scolding herself.

He replied to her with an amused "Hnn", and Kagome felt just a little bit more of an idiot.

"I suggest we overview the paperwork first, before going to inspect the property."

Kagome nodded.

"That sounds good," she agreed.

Then, the lawyer proceeded to go through the various papers and documents. Despite his aloof manner, he was surprisingly good at explaining the gist of the documents to her. He refrained from using too much of legalese, and was good at spelling everything out in terms she could understand. He was very good, she could understand that much. The only bad thing about him was that his handsome and attractive looks offered much distraction to Kagome's wandering and drooling mind. And his deep, smooth baritone was so delightful to her ears that she had to struggle to concentrate on the actual words he was saying.

It took a while for them to go over all the paperwork. Mr. Endou was very thorough.

Kagome did not mind the slightest, it only gave her more opportunities to steal glances at the handsome male and to listen to the divine tone of his voice. Besides, she was in no hurry to return to the shrine. She had always believed she would never go back there again.

Eventually, however, his stream of explanations ceased, and he compiled all the documents into a neat stack, which he carefully stored in the folder.

"I propose we will now proceed over to the property. If you find the terms I have just explained to you acceptable, you can sign them after the inspection."

Kagome nodded.

"Thank you."

A curious emotion flashed in the man's eyes as he stood up and straightened the suit jacket he was wearing.

"Shall we?" he prompted her with that familiar arch of an eyebrow.

Kagome nodded, and followed the man out of the room.

-~H~-

The nervousness swelled within her with every step she took. She had been so young when they had moved away from the shrine. There were not many memories that she had, tied to her old home, but the few that were the sharpest in her mind very painful to confront, even now after so many years. Fighting to stay in control of her emotions, she ascended the shrine steps in silence, her gaze locked on the red torii gate that stood over the hill, at the end of the steps.

The lawyer remained silent as well, much to her comfort. At first she had thought that confronting the painful memories of her childhood would be awkward as a complete stranger would bear witness. Instead, she felt oddly comforted by the tall man's presence. The aura surrounding him exuded confidence and power, and somehow it seemed to give Kagome strength on the very moment her steps were on the verge of beginning to falter. Finally reaching the top of the stairs she stepped into the courtyard. Her heart clenched at the familiar sight as her eyes immediately landed on her childhood home. Nothing had seemed to change, even though it had been so many years from the day her mother had packed their bags, taken her hand and walked away from this shrine that had been her ancestral home.

She let her eyes wonder and her gaze soon came to rest on the enormous sacred tree. Her expression softened when she recalled the many times she had climbed the ancient tree together with her little brother. She could remember all the joyous summer afternoons when she had played in the shade of the God tree with her childhood friend Kanna.

Kagome sighed softly and turned to the attorney, only to find his eyes on her. She had to fight a blush when she noticed the calculated look in the man's intense golden eyes. It was almost as if the man was evaluating her.

"Do you want to inspect the house first? Or would you rather start from the outer buildings?" the man asked.

"The house," Kagome replied at once.

Sesshoumaru nodded and then strode over to the house, the woman following his steps. He pulled out the keys he had received from the real estate agent and opened the door. He held it open and motioned for his client to enter. She did so, timidly, hesitantly.

She took her shoes off at the entrance and walked into the house, her blue eyes taking in the place she had once called home.

Nothing much had really changed, as far as she could see. She could imagine her mother standing in the kitchen, humming to herself as she made pancakes. She could picture Souta sitting in the living room floor and laughing at the cartoons airing on TV. She half expected to see her grandfather come down the stairs, grumbling.

But the old house was empty now, and the family that had once lived in it gone.

Kagome walked slowly from room to room, inspecting them in silence. She felt the attorney Mr. Endou trailing her steps at a respectful distance.

For some reason, his presence gave her courage.

Ascending the stairs, she lingered a moment in the doorway of her mother's bedroom. She passed by Souta's room without even opening the door. At last, she stopped in front of her old room. Feeling the stirrings of curiosity, she opened the door and stepped in.

"Wow," Kagome breathed out as her gaze wandered, taking in every detail of the room. "I didn't remember it was quite this… pink." she wondered aloud to herself. She smiled fondly when she remembered how her mother had allowed her to pick the curtains and the covers of her bed herself.

The lawyer acknowledged her statement with a neutral "Hn."

"Well, this is pretty much all there is to see to the house," the woman muttered, as she turned and walked away from her room.

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Alright then."

They made their way outside, and Sesshoumaru locked the front door before carefully pocketing the key.

"Would you want to inspect the outer buildings now?"

Standing on the porch, Kagome's eyes were drawn to the well house. She saw the weathered _ofuda_ that had been plastered at the heavy wooden doors, sealing them. She shuddered.

"No," she said in a soft tone.

Sesshoumaru frowned.

"Are you sure?"

He strode across the yard towards the well house. He was just reaching his hand to the doorknob when Kagome cried out.  
>"Don't!"<p>

Sesshoumaru halted, and turned to look at the woman.

She shifted uncomfortably, her pained blue eyes seeking his gaze, pleading.

His curiosity rising, Sesshoumaru turned his back to the well house and walked back over to the woman.

"That building is the well house. That is all there is inside, this old well that has been there for centuries. My… My younger brother drowned in that well when he was five. It was an accident, but I don't… I… My mother took me and left, after that. She couldn't stay here, and I haven't been here since…"

Kagome suddenly fell silent and let her gaze sink down, an obvious signal of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't know what came over me. Here I am, spewing out sob stories about my personal life. I promise not to bore you any further with unnecessary details."

Sesshoumaru's intense gaze weighed the woman before him.

Frankly, the woman's sudden opening up to him had not felt unpleasant at all.

"You did not bore me, Miss Higurashi," he spoke in his smooth voice, reassuring his intriguing client. "In fact, I found your "unnecessary details" to be quite the opposite."

Kagome looked up in surprise, just in time to see the smirk that made its way up to the attorney's lips.

"If you feel comfortable about sharing any other stories about your personal life with me, I believe that might be more comfortably achieved over a dinner. What do you say?"

Kagome blinked a few times. Then, her face broke into a ridiculously wide smile.

"Are you asking me out?" she questioned, feeling very much flattered at having such a handsome man's attention.

"Yes, I am," Sesshoumaru replied without batting an eye.

Kagome shook her head slowly, still smiling.

"You _really_ are a friend of Miroku's, huh?"

"Was that a yes?" he countered, his eyes glinting with amusement.

The woman deliberately winked at him.

"Yes."

-~H~-

Few weeks later, Kagome moved from her and Sango's apartment in Yokohama, to her childhood home at the Higurashi shrine in Tokyo. The moving was quickly done, since because her new home was completely furnished, so there were only a few pieces of furniture that needed to be moved. Besides, she had help from Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru.

She had met with the attractive attorney several times after their dinner, and though they had only known each other for mere weeks, they were already in a relationship. Sango and Miroku had been more than a little smug when they had heard about the unexpected romantic development, somehow taking credit for the match even though neither of them had been involved.

Kagome was absolutely delighted and also a bit relieved, for even though it was way too early to predict where hers and Sesshoumaru's relationship would go, at least it gave her a reason to move to Tokyo. Of course she would miss Sango, but she knew that her best friend would still be less than an hour away, such a distance felt like nothing!

"Wow, there is so much room!" Sango exclaimed as she stepped in, carrying a cardboard box in her arms.

"I know," Kagome grunted, setting down another box that was full of plates, mugs, bowls and other dishes.

"Probably _too_ much room for me alone," she replied.

"Well, that only means I need to visit often," Sesshoumaru grinned as he walked past her, carrying a box filled with books.

Kagome smiled fondly at him in return and then hauled the box she was carrying into the kitchen.

Her friends stayed until the early evening. After everything had been carried into the house they helped to unpack the various boxes – filling in the kitchen cupboards, hanging her few paintings and photographs on the empty walls, stacking her books and DVDs to their respective places.

Kagome settled in her old room. For some reason she felt the most comfortable there. While putting her clothes into the dresser, she made a mental note to get new curtains, something more toned down, something, that would make the room a bit less _pink_. Well, she thought to herself, it was no surprise her room appeared to be so childish. She had been only eight years old when she left from the shrine with her mother.

A yawn broke her out of her musings. Even though Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru had stayed to help her unpack, it still had taken most of the day to get her settled in. Now, she was left alone in her old – and yet new – home. Unpacking the rest of her clothes, she changed into a tank top and pajama pants. She grabbed one of the books Sesshoumaru had carefully put into her empty bookcase earlier and curled under the blankets, relaxing after the eventful day.

-~H~-

Kagome was soundly asleep when the door of her room suddenly opened. Soft footsteps padded across her room before they came to a halt right before her bed. She slept on, blissfully unaware of the presence standing by her bed. A small weight settled on the edge of the bed and then Kagome shuddered in her sleep as ghostly fingers brushed the exposed side of her neck in passing.

_Welcome home._


	2. Part Two - Precence

Part Two – Presence

It took Kagome a while to settle down in Tokyo. It took its own time to get used to the new neighbourhood, to find the closest supermarkets and convenience stores as well as the cosy cafés or the nice restaurants for when she felt like eating out. At least in regards to the latter, though, she had help from Sesshoumaru. Their romance was blooming. He was a real gentleman – as long as it served him to be one. They met each other at least a few times a week. Since he was a lawyer, his schedule was often busy. His office hours were long and it was not a rare occurrence for him to take his work home. She did not mind it, though, as she had both respect and admiration towards him. And he never failed to make time to see her when he wanted to.

It proved to be a bit more difficult to make herself at home at the family shrine, however. The house felt too big for her, especially when she had never lived alone before. She had lived with her mother and her step-father and when she had moved out she had lived together with her best friend Sango. And now here she was all of a sudden, all on her own. There were times when she felt a bit lonely, but knowing that Sango and Sesshoumaru were only one phone call away was relieving.

She was not sure if being alone in the house just made her imagination run wild, but sometimes she would start feeling creeped out for no apparent reason. There were moments when a nagging feeling kept insisting that she was not alone in the room – even though all her tangible senses were dutifully reporting to her that there was no one there but her. Even when she saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing… The lingering feeling of discomfort made her cast furtive glances at the empty room. It was slightly unnerving, but Kagome figured it was normal. After all she was the lone occupant in an old house built for a family.

It was perfectly normal to be a little paranoid at times… wasn't it?

Just last night she had been at her desk, in her own room, working on her thesis. She had been thoroughly concentrating on her work, going through the source material and making notes here and there, her laptop taking all of her focus.

Then, all of a sudden, she had shivered. It had broken her concentration and as she had rubbed her arms to warm herself, her skin had started crawling. There was this unpleasant tingly feeling in the back of her head, as if someone was staring at her. Slowly, she had begun to turn around, fearing what she might see, but knowing she would have to know. All that met her eyes was her empty room. Relief washed over her but it died down swiftly. Something was out of place, she knew it, but it took her a few moments to realise what it was.

The door of her room was wide open. Earlier, when she had walked into her room she had left it ajar. She shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with cold.

-~H~-

There was a creak in the stairs, and in the darkness of her bedroom, Kagome's eyes opened. Was there someone out there, coming up the stairs? Lying under her blankets, she tensed as her ears strained to hear the sounds of the old, empty house.

Caught between a dream and awaking, between the paranormal and paranoia, she tried to stay still and catch the small, tell-tale noises.

Soft thuds, didn't those sound just like light footsteps on a carpet? The upstairs corridor was carpeted. Kagome held her breath in creeping terror. Her wide fearful eyes slowly came to rest on the door of her room, as she imagined someone – or something – standing right behind it.

The door didn't move, but something else did, out in the corridor, with a loud, wailing creak.

She shivered but there was only the deep silence left. She contemplated if she should get up, go and check the corridor, but she didn't dare. She tried to ease the tenseness out of her muscles and willed herself back to sleep. Even after the house had fully quieted down again, it took her a long time until she could relax again enough to let the sleep take over.

In the morning, she had forgotten all about the nightly noises that had freaked her out. The hazy memory rushed back to her when she left her room to go downstairs to the kitchen, and walked along the corridor. She had almost passed it when she stopped in her tracks. She turned to look to her left, at the door that was open, into the room that the time had not touched.

That door, it had been tightly shut for 16 years. No one had dared to open it; the memory had been too painful to bear.

Kagome's heart clenched in her chest as her gaze washed over the toys and the videogames, the little bed that had not been slept in for well over a decade. With trembling fingers she reached to pull the door of Souta's room shut once again.

-~H~-

A chill went down her spine each time her reluctant eyes would fall on the well house. The little, worn-down outer building did not look threatening at all. And Kagome did realise that there was nothing physically or rationally scary about the house – it was just a small, old building inside of which was an old well. But still the mere sight of it filled her with dread. The response was stirred purely because of the emotional ties Kagome had to the building. Seeing it made her remember the day Souta had died. To her, it would always remain a silent reminder of the day her childhood had ended.

Of course, there were pleasant memories, too. Like sitting on the porch in the summer, laughing at her grandfather's rambling stories. Or having a tickle-fight with Souta. Or going shopping to a nearby supermarket with mom. Or playing hide and seek with Kanna in the shrine yard. There were plenty of good spots to hide in.

Idly, Kagome wondered where her childhood friend was now. They had lost contact after she had moved away. It had been very sudden, after all, and as a child the 30 minute commute between Yokohama and Tokyo felt so long. And once she had settled in her new school, she had made new friends. Later, in middle school, she had met Sango, and the two of them had been inseparable ever since.

All in all, before her brother's tragic accident, the shrine had been a great place to grow up. As crowded as Tokyo was, it was rare to have so much room. The grounds with all the old buildings provided so many opportunities for playing, such as good hiding spots. Even the storage sheds were glorified in their childish eyes as treasure troves, full of weird and interesting items. Her grandfather had been very fond of telling stories about the shrine and the various historical objects stored there, though most often his stories were fanciful legends, repeated for a hundred years. Now that she was older, Kagome could better appreciate the tradition. As a child, unfortunately, she had found her grandfather's tales boring more often than not.

She got up. She had nothing planned for today, and she had just got a great idea of what she could do. Or rather, what she _should_ do. She went to get her keys and her hand bag and headed out of the door.

She almost missed her stop on the train. It had been so many years since she had last visited the cemetery. She walked along the gravel path, trying to locate the right tombstone out of the hundreds nearly identical pale cubical ones. Finally she found it. It was a family plot, and three names were carved on it, three generations of Higurashi men had their ashes buried here. Kagome knelt down to show her respect and lit the incense she had brought with her.

The first name on the stone was her father's. She barely remembered him, he had died before Souta had even been born, and Kagome had been but a toddler at that time. Her only hazy recollections were the warm strength of his arms and the sound of his laughter.

Next was her brother Souta. She smiled sadly and traced his name on the stone.

Lastly was her grandfather's name. She had been fairly close with him when she had been a little girl, and she really regretted that she hadn't come to visit him much after she had moved to Yokohama with her mom. She wondered for the umpteenth time why her grandfather had left the shrine to her, especially since they hadn't really kept in contact for the past several years.

She spent a while at the grave, remembering her childhood days and the three men that had been part of them. She said a little prayer, and hoped that they all would find their peace – her younger brother especially.

-~H~-

Her room was bathed in sunlight when her eyes slowly fluttered open. She stretched lazily under the covers and glanced at her clock. It was Saturday morning, and it was a very peaceful and blissful feeling, knowing that she didn't have to get out of the bed for hours. The only plans she had for today was a date with Sesshoumaru, but that would only be in the evening. She would be going over to his apartment, and he had promise to cook her dinner. Kagome had been looking forward to it all week; she had only seen Sesshoumaru on Wednesday for a quick lunch date, since he was working on an important case now that kept him at the office, going overtime. Still, even though she could be lazy and stay in bed, Kagome slipped from under her covers and yawned as she padded across her room. She hummed softly to herself while she walked along the carpeted upstairs corridor. Coming to the top of the stairs, she stopped.

What was that?

She tensed immediately as her ears strained to capture the sound again.

It was coming from the living room.

Her throat was painfully tight and slowly she began to descend the stairs. The sounds were growing louder and clearer. Human voices, yelling and screaming. Arguing, in her living room.

Her heart beat was so loud it almost drowned down the disturbing noise, when Kagome finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Inching towards the door, unwilling to open it but knowing she _had to_, she gave it a sharp push and quickly stepped back. As the door slowly slid open, her scared, wide eyes scanned the room.

It was empty.

Stepping to the doorframe, Kagome almost collapsed against the worn wood.

The TV was on.

Relief washed over her and she almost laughed at herself for being so stupid and easily freaked out. Shaking her head, she turned to leave when she suddenly stopped and stared at the TV with wide eyes.

_Why_ was it on?! How? She had not turned it on!

Forcefully swallowing down the piece that was painfully lodged in her throat, she stepped into the living room. Picking up the remote from the table, she decisively switched the TV off.

Kagome walked to the kitchen. Her hands shook lightly as she poured cereal to her bowl. Stirring the sugared treats she managed to calm herself down. Technology was a quirky thing; Kagome was ready to admit that. She had no clue how it all worked, and she didn't care the slightest as long as there were no problems. The TV had probably just somehow got turned on. Jumping into conclusions was silly. Really. She was way too jumpy for someone about to graduate university!

She sighed heavily and scooped a spoonful of the cereal to her mouth. Wandering back to the living room to eat her breakfast – she had a bad habit of eating while comfortably nested in the corner of the sofa – she stopped in the doorway. The bowl almost slipped from her suddenly limp fingers.

Her helpless, rounded blue eyes silently took in the happily blinking TV that was currently showing one of the many children's anime that aired on Saturday mornings.

She shuddered, and that fleeting moment, she knew with absolute clarity that she was not alone.

The brightly coloured animation on the TV was a re-run, and she recognised the main character immediately, remembering the many times she had seen its action figure in her brother's games.

This was Souta's favourite show.

The fear she had been overwhelmed with just a few seconds ago turned to sadness and she turned around and walked back into the kitchen, leaving the TV on to play the show to the empty room.

-~H~-

Kagome fidgeted nervously while she lied in Sesshoumaru's lap. They had just had dinner and now were simply hanging out in his living room, enjoying each other's company. The TV was on, but neither of them paid much notice to it. He was idly tracing patterns on her arm while she was trying to figure out how to approach the conversation she wanted to enter.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked softly after a moment of silence, sensing his girlfriend's anxiety.

Kagome bit her lip, and decided to seize the opportunity.

"Do you believe in the supernatural?"

She felt him stiffen under her weight.

"What do you mean?" Sesshoumaru asked, his tone of voice carefully neutral.

"Uhm… Like spirits and stuff?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a while.

"I think there is much in this world which we still struggle to explain," he finally replied.

Kagome turned in his lap so that she was facing him. There was a small frown on her face.

"It's just… I've wanted to talk to you about this for a while, but I don't want you to think I'm crazy."

"Just tell me, Kagome," he encouraged.

"I think the shrine is haunted," she confessed, fingering the hem of his shirt nervously.

"Truly?" Sesshoumaru murmured, his lips twitching in amusement.

"I know it sounds stupid," Kagome sighed exasperatedly. "But I just can't shake off that feeling."

"Maybe some people are more sensitive to that sort of things than others. Maybe you feel at unease there because of what happened to your brother."

"Maybe," she echoed, frowning.

"I know this guy…" Sesshoumaru began. He was not sure if it was a good idea, but he wanted to do something to reassure the woman. "He is a former client of mine. He's an occult maniac."

"Really?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"He proclaims at least to know all about dark spirits and curses and other such phenomenon. Well, he's so creepy that I guess I almost believe him. Anyway, if you want, I could arrange for him to come over to see if he can detect anything."

"Alright," Kagome agreed, relieved that Sesshoumaru didn't think she was a lunatic.

-~H~-

Kagome studied the man standing under the torii at the top of the stairs. She didn't like the look of him, he gave her the creeps. She wondered if this had been a good idea after all.

"Kagome, this is Onigumo Naraku," Sesshoumaru introduced the man with dark eyes and long wild black hair.

The name was as creepy as the man was, and Kagome couldn't help but wonder if he had intentionally changed his name to get one better suited for his weird hobby.

"Nice to meet you," she managed out of sheer politeness.

The man was not really paying much attention to her. He was looking around, noting the old buildings of the shrine. His eyes were gleaming in wicked enthusiasm.

While Naraku was busy snooping around under Kagome's dubious gaze, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and inhaled. There was a lot of energy in this place – which was no surprise as the property was ancient, and the shrine that had been raised on it was centuries old. The steady hum of the God tree's holy energy buzzed in his ears, and drowned any other small shift of energy. The God tree's presence was simply so vast that it completely covered everything else.

Sesshoumaru frowned and then opened his eyes. It was impossible to tell if there really was something here, like Kagome had confided to him in concern. There had not been even a trickle of _jyaki_ anywhere, though, and that reassured Sesshoumaru of his woman's safety. No malevolent being haunted the premises.

Whatever Naraku would come to find, Kagome already knew deep down that her house haunted. Admitting that had been grudging, but there was no sense in denying it, even if it made her sound crazy. There was just that feeling in her gut, the shiver down her spine, the tingling at the back of her neck and she _knew_. And even though the occasional incidents got her heart beating erratically, she no longer felt the numbing fear. That morning, she had in fact smiled when she had noted the way her sheets were wrinkled on the foot of her bed, as if someone had sat there. There was also a small grey bunny – her little brother's favourite plushie, without which he had always refused to go to bed – on the floor by her bed.

Yes, there were indeed plenty of clues to the identity of the ghost haunting her house, and perhaps that was why she was no longer afraid.

"What about this one?" Naraku called, stopping in front of the well house. "It feels interesting."

"There is nothing inside save for an old well," Kagome replied tightly.

"May I take a look?" the man intoned slickly.

She was not really comfortable with the idea, but she also knew that avoiding the building would not bring her brother back.

"If you must," she told him, and Naraku nodded absently. He stopped for a moment to study the weathered ofuda that had been plastered onto the door, and then peeled them away so he could open it. Kagome turned away as the man stepped in to the well house.

A moment later he exited.

"Fascinating," he purred delightedly.

Kagome repressed a shudder.

"So, anything?" she quipped impatiently.

"There are interesting vibes here for sure. The well especially, I think! It must date back at least to the Sengoku era. Just imagine what all it has witnessed, the war, the bloodshed, the famines and diseases…"

"Yes, fascinating," Sesshoumaru intoned dryly. "Is it haunted, though?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so. The overall energy around here appears to be benevolent."

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. It supported his findings, as well.

"Thank you for coming," he told the man, as he escorted him away.

"It was my pleasure!"

Kagome lingered on the courtyard. She turned to the well house. The door was gaping. Hesitantly she climbed the steps and then firmly pulled the sliding wood door shut.

Despite the wealth of history the well symbolised, she thought the building was better kept closed.

-~H~-

She was trapped. The space was small, she could barely turn around, and the cold walls seemed to be pressing on her.

It was dark. She could not see a thing. A crushing sense of loneliness filled her, almost overriding the fright and fluttery panic that was growing stronger every second. She couldn't get out. She tried pounding on the walls, but only managed to bruise her fists.

She wanted to get out. She needed to get out.

Growing more and more desperate, she cried for help, but there was no one to hear her.

She realised then that she would die here, all alone in the dark.

Kagome's eyes shot open. She stared into the darkness of her bedroom and tried to catch her breath. Cold sweat had beaded on her forehead, and she tried to will away the dread and anxiety of the remnants of her nightmare. It had been the second one this week. They were getting worse again.

She glanced at her alarm clock, and the numbers glowing on its screen. _2:05_. Already feeling a bit calmer, she exhaled and turned to lie on her back.

And then, out of nowhere, there was a faint tap against the glass.

Kagome stiffened and immediately grew alert despite her mind telling her she was hearing things. She waited with a baited breath, but could only hear silence.

Just as she was about to relax again, there was a second tap. This time it was stronger.

Kagome swallowed.

Third tap.

She clutched the blanket tight with trembling fingers.

Fourth tap.

Cold fingers of terror squeezed at her throat and her body shuddered in convulsion as she saw a pale, ghastly shape right outside her bedroom window.


	3. Part Three - Haunted

Part Three – Haunted

Sesshoumaru rubbed his bleary eyes as he hurried up the shrine steps in the dark. He was annoyed when he had been woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call, but the anger had subsided when he realised the caller was Kagome, and turned to worry when he had heard her trembling, panicked voice.

Coming to the top of the stairs, he stopped under the Torii gate. His eyes scanned the yard, his senses on high alert. He could only feel stillness. Sesshoumaru frowned to himself. He did not think Kagome was lying to him or imagining things, she had sounded far too terrified for either. But if there truly was an evil presence haunting her, it hid himself too well. Sesshoumaru couldn't feel a trace of jyaki.

His jaw tightening, he strode across the yard and then hurriedly rapped on the front door. The door opened a crack, to reveal a pale face and widened blue eyes.

"Thank god," she breathed when she saw him, and stepped back to let him in. Sesshoumaru entered the house and shut the door after him. He studied the woman, who was clearly distraught and beside herself. It was unsettling, because Kagome was usually always so calm, always quick to smile. But now, she was pacing the floor and wringing her trembling hands. Her heart was pounding, he could clearly hear its erratic rhythm.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I saw a ghost," she said, and laughed. It was a wild sound that grated on his ears, high and hysterical.

"Slow down," Sesshoumaru pleaded, clutching her hands as she passed him, stopping her frenzied pacing.

Kagome melted into his arms. He stroked her back, her small form was shaking.

"I was sleeping," she mumbled, "I was having the nightmare again and then I woke up. At first I didn't know why, but then I heard it. There were four taps on my window, and I saw a pale figure outside."

"And then what," he said, trying to make his voice soothing and encouraging.

"Its black eyes bore into me and then I blinked and it was gone. I know it sounds like I'm losing my mind and I'm sure you think I was just seeing things but… it _felt_ so real, just sheer terror freezing my entire body…"

"Your house is arguably haunted by your little brother," he said, "so perhaps you _are_ losing your mind. But you're still shaking now, so it must have been real for you. And that's all that matters to me."

Kagome raised her head and looked at him. The fear was fading from her eyes, slowly replaced by gratefulness.

"Now, do you have a futon?" Sesshoumaru asked, stroking her hair.

"Yeah…?" Kagome replied, frowning a little.

"Go and get it."

When Kagome disappeared to run the errand, Sesshoumaru walked into the dining room next to the kitchen and the living room and moved the low table and the cushions aside, making room for the mattress.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"In here."

She entered the room with the futon, and Sesshoumaru helped her lay it out on the tatami. She went to get sheets, blanket and pillows, and soon enough, she was lying on the floor of the dining room, safely burrowed under the thick blanket and nestled against Sesshoumaru's chest.

The fear was all gone. In his strong arms, she simply felt safe.

"Sleep," he murmured into her ear, and she gladly obliged.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Kagome woke up the next morning to Sesshoumaru's alarm. She felt very groggy and didn't realise at first where she was. When the events of the previous night finally caught up with her, she felt rather sheepish about the whole thing. In the light of the morning, lying on the futon next to her hunky lawyer boyfriend, last night's fright seemed rather silly.<p>

"Good morning," she murmured, scooting over to Sesshoumaru.

"Morning," he replied, planting a soft kiss on her brow.

Kagome smiled.

"What time is it?"

"6.30"

He pulled her into his arms and ran his hand soothingly down her back.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice lightly laced with worry.

"I'm fine," she told him. "I'm sorry that I was so jumpy last night. I must have been just seeing things, I was probably still half asleep…"

Sesshoumaru's lips pressed into a thin line.

"I don't think you were jumpy, you seemed genuinely afraid," he said gravely, and then looked down to her, meeting her blue eyes. "You're welcome to call me any time. Even if it was the middle of the night. I don't mind."

"I know," she sighed softly. "Thank you."

He bent to claim her lips in a kiss.

"As much as I would love to stay here, with you, I'm afraid I must get up if I am to get to work on time."

"Such a busy hard-working man you are," Kagome teased, smiling.

"Indeed," he replied dryly. "Meet me for lunch?"

"It's a date," she promised.

"Good." he kissed her one last time, before he got up. "I'll call you."

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>The aching of her empty stomach finally broke Kagome's concentration. She leaned back in her chair and stretched, a groan escaping from her lips. Her neck and shoulders had grown stiff from sitting in front of her computer. She glanced at the clock and gasped when she saw it was already past 1 AM. No wonder she was so tired. The work seemed to have completely swept her away; the quick overlook she had meant to give to the beginning of her thesis had stretched into hours of editing her introduction and first few chapters.<p>

Kagome shook her head. It was way past her bedtime, but sleep would have to wait for a while longer. Right now she needed a shower, and maybe after that grab something to eat to quiet her protesting belly.

A while later, Kagome sighed contentedly as she towelled her hair while padding downstairs. The hot water had felt divine, and eased out the knots from her back and shoulders. She still felt tired, but after that refreshing shower it was the _good_ kind of tired. She had got a lot of work done today, and that made her proud of herself. Her thesis was shaping up very nicely indeed.

Kagome walked into the kitchen and grabbed a tangerine from the bowl on the counter. She ate it on the spot, leaning her back against the kitchen counter, one hand still idly mussing her damp hair.

There should still be some pudding left, she remembered suddenly as she finished her tangerine. She had worked hard tonight – surely such show of productivity should be rewarded. Grinning to herself, Kagome walked to the fridge and opened it. She bent to pick up the delicious treat from the back of the fridge, when suddenly she heard a knock.

Kagome straightened, the pudding forgotten. Her brow furrowed into a quizzical frown. Her gaze swept the room, looking for the source of the sound, but it didn't seem to have come from the kitchen. Kagome shut the door of the fridge and slowly walked to the kitchen doorway. Her gaze landed on the front door of the house, just as a second knock sounded, soon followed by a third. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the door at the end of the corridor. It was 2 AM. Who on earth would be at the door at this hour?

There was another knock, this one a little louder, as if her visitor was growing impatient. Kagome bit her lip and took a few hesitant steps down the corridor. Her nerves were on the edge, the thin hairs on her arms standing in attention. Yet again, the knocks sounded, sharp and demanding. Something did not feel right about this. Kagome swallowed, trying in vain to wet her dry throat. Something at the back of her mind was screaming at her.

Her spine tingled and her steps faltered. If one of her friends was suddenly coming over in the middle of the night, wouldn't they call her first? If a stranger urgently needed to come in, wouldn't they beg for help or the door to be opened?

But aside from the steady knocking growing louder and more insistent all the while, only eerie silence filled Kagome's ears. She stood but a few feet from the door, her heart fluttering in her chest like a panicked bird.

She shivered, suddenly feeling cold. The knocking had turned into a violent pounding now. It made her ears ache, it made the large wooden door tremble in its frame.

Standing right before the _genkan_, Kagome weighed her options. She felt very freaked out about the situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was open the door. But then again, maybe she _should_, maybe that would stop the knocking. She was exhausted, but there would be no sleeping in this racket.

Finally, Kagome steeled herself and went to take a step forward – only to be rooted to a spot again. Her left wrist felt suddenly very cold, and there was a sharp tug, pulling her back. Kagome instinctively followed, stepping back from the door. Her stomach knotting, her brow furrowing in puzzlement, she raised her wrist to study it. Thin, faint bruises had appeared onto her skin, shaped like small fingers.  
>Silence rang in her ears; the pounding had stopped.<p>

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>She was cold. Her arms were covered in gooseflesh and all her hair was standing up. The silence enveloping her was so deafening it was making her ears ring.<p>

The darkness pressed at her from all sides. She stood frozen to her spot, not daring to move even an inch. The blackness circling her was so thick and unyielding.

Her heart thundered in her chest, tears prickled in her eyes.

Even though she couldn't see a thing, she could feel the walls all around her, trapping her into the cold and dark.

A strangled sob clawed at her throat and burst from her lips. It echoed hollowly in the small space.

Her breath came in harsh, hysterical pants that sounded desperate and terrified even to her own ears.

She couldn't get out.

She was all alone in the cold and the dark, and she could _never_ get out.

Kagome sat up in her bed and clutched her blanket to her chest. She could feel the erratic flutter of her heart and for a moment wondered if the poor organ would try to force its way up her throat. She fought to steady her breath, tried to dispel the cold fingers of dread that were squeezing her heart and prickling her spine.

It was just a dream, she told herself for the umpteenth time, just the same old nightmare.

But her voice was starting to lose its conviction. This had been the fourth night in a row she had woken up gasping. She did not think that the nightmare had ever been recurring this frequently. She was afraid it would now work its way into her dreams every night.

Her trembling hand rose to cup her face and sweep her brow. With a heavy heart she laid back down in her bed. She rolled to rest on her side and instantly flinched at the sight of an obscure shape right before her.

A split-second later she chided herself for her jumpiness and reached for the fluffy grey bunny that had appeared by her pillow while she had been sleeping. She picked up the stuffed animal and clutched it to her chest, remembering the countless times she had seen young Souta do the same.

Feeling slightly better, Kagome pulled her blanket to her chin and curled up under the covers, cradling her brother's old toy rabbit in her arms.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>"Miroku, it's Sesshoumaru."<p>

"Oh, hi Sess. How are you?"

Sesshoumaru ignored the question.

"Have you been talking to Kagome lately?"

"Not really," Miroku frowned. "Why?"

"I am worried about her. I saw her tonight and she does not look well. She has been sleeping poorly, this nightmare of hers…"

"Sango told me about that. She's always had that nightmare, hasn't she?"

"Yes, but they are growing more frequent. I think it has to do with the house."

"Unpleasant memories could well trigger the nightmares," Miroku said ponderously.

"It's more than that." Sesshoumaru hesitated. "The house is haunted."

"Truly?" Miroku's voice sounded surprised. "Isn't that ironic, a haunted shrine."

"Kagome noted early on that there was something off. She believes her younger brother inhabits the house."

"Well given how the boy died on the property, I suppose that's possible," Miroku offered.

"I have not sensed any malevolent energy in the house. If there is a spirit, I am sure it poses no harm. However, it would seem there is another entity at the shrine, and this one has scared Kagome quite badly."

There was a long silence at the other end of the line. Then, finally, Miroku spoke again.

"You know my uncle's a monk?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I could try asking him if there is anything we could do."

"That would be much appreciated."

"I suppose the shrine would have to be purified, but given that it's a Shinto shrine, I doubt my uncle could help with that, we'd need a priest."

"Probably."

"Well, in any case, I'll look into this and consult my uncle. I think he could at least make an _omamori_ for Kagome, though I'm not sure how much help that would be."

"I'm sure it would be much better than nothing. Thank you, Miroku."

"No problem. And Sess?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of Kagome."

"I will."

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Kagome's eyes snapped open. She stared at the ceiling of her dark bedroom, fear bubbling at the back of throat, her chest heaving in the rhythm of her laboured pants. Her heart raced hundred miles a minute, her forehead was clammy and coated with sweat.<p>

She closed her eyes and groaned, starting to calm down as the seconds ticked by. Silence rang in her ears.

It was her nightmare, as full of darkness, terror and coldness as always. Kagome had lost count how many times this made it now. It seemed the dream was constantly plaguing her these days, it just didn't seem to leave her alone.

Shaking, Kagome got up and padded to the bathroom. The face that met her in the mirror was pale and harrowed. The dark circles under her eyes lent contrast to her pasty skin.

Lately she had been putting off sleep. She knew that the nightmare lurked on the other side, waiting for her, so she made excuses, found things to do so she could delay going to bed. It was taking a toll on her, and still the sleep always found her in the end – and along with it, the nightmare.

Did her cheeks look hollower as well?

It's the stress, Kagome told herself firmly, averting her gaze from the mirror. She opened the tap, let the water run for a moment before washing her face.

The deadline for her thesis was fast approaching and the professor had taken issue of the way she had presented her results.

Kagome dabbed her face with a towel and then gulped down a glass of water. Feeling marginally better, she walked back into the bedroom and crawled back under the covers. She tossed and turned a few times, trying to find a comfortable position. Outside, the wind was picking up. A strong gust roared up, violently breathing against her window. Soon, however, the gust of wind died, and silence once again reigned. She laid in bed, feeling thoroughly exhausted – physically, mentally and emotionally – and yet she couldn't seem to fall back to sleep.

She missed Sesshoumaru, and his comforting presence that gave her strength. She hadn't seen him for days, though they had talked on the phone earlier that day. He was terribly busy again, preparing a case for court. Still, he had made time for her, they had a date set in just three days.

The wind came alive again, battering the walls of the house as its low, hollow boom filled the silence. Another sound joined it, so faint at first that Kagome thought she had imagined it. But then that scraping noise was there again. The kind of scratching sound that was made by something moving around on the roof.

Kagome's jaw clenched and she clutched at her blanket, her knuckles going white.

It's probably just a squirrel, she tried to tell herself, but couldn't bring herself to believe in such false assurances. Not when she _knew_ with absolute certainty what was up there on the roof, scraping right above her bed. The same something that would violently pound on her door at two in the morning, or tap at her window.

It was the same, pale shade from before, and it was still seeking a way to get into the house.

Seeking a way to her.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Kagome stood on the sidewalk, watching the receding tail lights with mixed feelings. She was still basking in the afterglow of their date, and the kiss goodbye Sesshoumaru had given her had her stomach doing giddy backflips. Still, she had been loath to part with him and would have wanted nothing more than to spend the night with him at his place. She had not even dared to ask, though. Sesshoumaru had court tomorrow morning, and he had enough on his mind without her being a bother.<p>

Besides, he was already worried about her. He hadn't said it outright, but she had seen the soft glimmer of concern in his eyes. Kagome sighed, and her fingers rose to touch the embroidered silk hanging from her neck. He had given her the _omamori_ as a gift. She had thought it to be a sweet gesture, figuring he simply wanted her to stay safe, but when Sesshoumaru had told her it had been custom made, not one of those generic factory printed ones you could purchase at any shrine, she realised it was more than that. It appeared he genuinely wanted her to be protected. He said Miroku's uncle who was a monk had made it for her.

Kagome made a mental note to thank Miroku as well.

She should call Sango, too, while she was at it. Her friend had called yesterday while she had been taking a bath, and had left a voicemail asking if she was all right and noting she hadn't heard from her in a while. Sango seemed worried about her as well; she could hear it in her voice. She'd have to call her back and reassure her, gripe about her thesis and all the stress it was putting her under. She wasn't sure if Sango swallowed that excuse, but she hoped she would.

Kagome pulled her jacket tighter around her as she started to ascend the long staircase. It was late, and she felt exhausted. Even her legs seemed dull and tired as she climbed up the steps to the shrine. Reaching the top, she stopped under the red _torii _to catch her breath, when it was stripped from her completely in a startled hiss.

There, in the middle of the yard stood the pale, ghastly shade. Kagome froze and the hair at the back of her neck stood up as her trembling fingers clutched at the _omamori_.

Its eyes seemed like the only spot of colour, pitch-black, their empty stare was levelled directly at her. Everything else about the apparition was white: the waxy skin, the thick mane of hair, the unadorned kimono it wore. Its doll-like face was void of any expression, only the dead black eyes continued to bore into her.

Kagome swallowed. Her throat had gone dry and her hands felt clammy. The way the entity was staring at her made her skin crawl. She stood under the _torii_ gate, shivers running down her spine and her stomach sinking, and weighed her options. If she wanted to get into the house, she would have to walk past the ghost, and there really was no telling what it would try to do if she approached it. On the other hand, she could simply turn around and walk away; opt to spend the night at a hotel somewhere or in one of those internet cafés that were open around the clock. The latter seemed like the safest and most sensible option, avoiding the spectre all together.

But then, at the back of her mind there was a spark of indignation, and her temper flared.

To hell with you, Kagome seethed in her mind, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the apparition. This was her _home_ and she was going to sleep in her own damn bed, not run away with her tail between her legs!

Gritting her teeth, holding on to her _omamori_, she stepped forward.

The ghost did not move an inch, its eerie gaze still bored into her, chilling those corners of her soul which her hot-burning righteous anger had not reached. Making up her mind and ignoring the trembling of her limbs, Kagome started to cross the yard. She made sure to make a wide curve to the right so as to keep ample distance between herself and the spectre. Although the ire was coursing through her veins, she was not foolhardy, and underneath her burning temper the cold fingers of fear still squeezed at her heart.

Yet as she walked, the shade stayed still, and simply stood there with that pale expressionless face and those black, black eyes always watching.

She moved slowly, though determinedly. The seconds ticked by and seemed to stretch into hours. The house might as well have been a mile away. But her stubbornness had taken a hold of her; she refused to give into the despair. The ghost still had not moved at all, it seemed perfectly content standing there in the middle of the yard, letting its empty eyes follow Kagome's around.

As she inched forward, Kagome contemplated which was the worst, the spirit's eyes or its face. The eyes were dead and soulless, they were constantly trained on her and staring, and the blackest black she had ever seen. But the face... It was unnatural in colour, as white as the kimono it wore. The total emptiness of the face, the lack of any kind of expression seemed shockingly inhuman.

When Kagome circled around the ghost, it finally moved, though it was no more than a turn of its head so it could continue watching her. Kagome shuddered, her stomach felt like it was filled with lead, but she kept putting one foot after another; her steps never faltered. Finally, she got past the ghastly apparition, but from there, it only got worse.

She was facing the door now, her goal and promise of safety right before her. But that also meant that the creepy shade was _behind_ her, and somehow that was even more terrifying. She knew it was there, but she could not see it. The hairs on her arms were standing up; the back of her neck was tingling. She could still feel its dead eyes on her. Her mind conjured suggestions and images on its own accord. Was the ghost still standing there unmoving, or had it begun to creep after her, to follow her steps?

It took all self-control Kagome had to keep walking and not burst into a run. Something at the back of her mind was screaming at her to look back over her shoulder, to make sure the ghost hadn't moved. But Kagome kept her gaze firmly fixed on the front door. If the ghost _had_ in fact moved, if it was now standing right behind her, she did not want to know.

Kagome reached her hand and closed her fingers around the doorknob, swiftly opening it. The door slammed, and she leaned her back against it, letting out the breath she had been holding in a desperate gasp. Her knees were weak, her legs quaking. Relief flooded her, so potent it was almost overwhelming. She let go of the _omamori_ and flexed her fingers. They felt numb from squeezing so tight.

The weariness now settled on her in full force, and Kagome trudged up the stairs. For once, she was looking forward to going to bed. Stepping into the bedroom, a strangled sound escaped from her lips, half a yelp, half a shriek.

It was there, the pale shade, right at her window, the black eyes staring.

And it was _smiling_, a wide, toothy grin so dark it chilled Kagome to the bone.

As eerie as the expressionless face had been, the smile seemed much more horrifying.

Kagome stood frozen on her spot, trapped in her terror, until something inside her snapped.

With angry strides, Kagome crossed the room. She stood in front of the window, met the ghost's black stare full on and hissed: "Go to hell."

With a violent yank, she pulled the curtains closed.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Kagome was on a roll. She was fully focused in her work for once, her fingers flying on the keyboard and tapping away. In fact, she was so immersed in her thesis that, when the loud sound suddenly broke the perfect stillness of the room, she jumped in her chair. Shaking her head, she put her hand on her chest and reached for the phone, noting the caller ID in passing.<p>

"Hi mama!" she chirped in a greeting.

"Hi, Kagome," came the warm voice from the other end of the line. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, just working on the thesis. How are you?"

"I'm well and so is your step-father. We miss you, though, so we're hoping you'll come to visit us soon."

"I will," she promised.

"And feel free to bring your gentleman friend as well."

"Mama!" Kagome wailed, surprised.

The woman at the other end chuckled. "Sango told me. He's a lawyer, right?"

"Yes, he is. He is pretty busy most of the time, but things are going great. I really like him."

"I am glad to hear that." Kagome could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "I just want you to be happy, dear."

"I am, mama," she told her.

There was a slight pause, and when her mother next spoke her voice was hesitant. "How's Tokyo?"

Kagome fidgeted, immediately understanding the underlining question her mother had really asked her –

How's the shrine?

Just splendid, she thought dryly, except that it's haunted.

"I had my reservations about moving here," she admitted in the end. "And at first the house felt big and empty. But I'm starting to feel like home now."

"That's good. You and Souta were always so close, I was worried it might be painful for you to go back."

"It was, for a while. And sad, too. But now I'm glad that I came back. Before, whenever I thought about this place I could only recall the day Souta died. But being back here is bringing me memories, and happier ones, at that."

"There was a fair share of those as well," her mother spoke, her voice soft and wistful. She chuckled. "You and Souta were inseparable, really. You even had the same imaginary friend!"

Kagome stilled completely, her breath catching in her throat. Suddenly she felt sick, as if someone had punched her right to the gut. Trying her best to keep her voice level, she forced the question from her lips. "What imaginary friend?"

"You know, that Kanna-girl you used to go on and on about."

Kagome's hands were shaking. She could not remember what excuses she had made to her mother or hanging up on her. Her trembling fingers were now desperately clutching her phone as she selected Sesshoumaru's number. She listened to the dialling tone while chewing on her lip, her free hand twisting the hem of her shirt. He didn't pick up. Of course he didn't, he was at work. But she got his answering machine and she blurted out her jumbled thoughts.

"I know who it is. It's her! Sesshoumaru, I'm scared... I think she wants me - I think she's always wanted me!"

And even after all these years and after trying to bury the memories of her bittersweet childhood, she could picture the scene vividly. It had been a sunny evening in late August and they had been sitting on the back porch, enjoying the warm rays. Mama had given Souta and her some water melon slices as an evening snack. Kanna had been sitting right next to her. They had spent the whole day playing outside and having a wonderful time. Kanna had looked at her and then leant closer, as if to share a secret.

"I wish we could be together forever," she had whispered.

And Kagome, sweet naive clueless Kagome, had flashed her a smile and declared "we'll always be best friends!"

The phone dropped from her nerveless fingers and fell into her lap. Kagome let out an agonised gasp and hugged herself tightly, her fingers digging into her arms in a vain effort to ground herself after her world had so cruelly twisted upside down.

Her breathing was as erratic as the beat of her heart. Panicked thoughts flitted through her mind in a quick succession.

Oh god I need an exorcist. I need to call Miroku. I need to get the hell out of here!

Hastily, she picked up the phone and snatched her hand bag. She burst out of her room, sprinted down the corridor and bounded down the flight of stairs. She didn't even bother with a jacket, just haphazardly jammed her feet into the first pair of shoes she saw. She was half-way out the door, before she realised that Kanna was standing there at the front steps. She was smiling again, as if she had waited for such an opportune moment, for her to come out of the house.

Kagome instinctively moved to step back, but the pale hand thrust forward, quick as a snake. The dead fingers coiled around her wrist in a grip that felt as hard and cold as iron. Her bag and cell phone fell from her numb fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Kagome felt a desperate tug on the leg that still had not crossed the threshold, but she was completely petrified, succumbed into the terror, and could not follow the firm touch's insistence to back away. She was much like a ragdoll in a tug-of-war, as the two spirits fought over her. One was trying to forcibly pull her along, while the other clung to her with all its strength, trying to stop her. Kanna's black eyes narrowed in anger, her triumphant grin had faded. In a terrible hollow voice, she venomously hissed "_Be gone!_"

With a faint flicker of futile resistance, her little brother's presence withered, and Kagome stumbled forward, unbalanced by the sudden lightness of her leg. Kanna took advantage of the momentum and yanked Kagome to her. Then, Kagome was dragged across the yard. The fear coursing in her veins felt like ice, her limbs were weak and trembling. Her despair only deepened when she realised where the ghost was taking her. She tried to struggle but it was all in vain, the hysteria had her too deeply in its grip – and Kanna's hold of her too strong. With a loud creak, the door of the well house slid open on its own accord. Kagome was pushed inside and she stumbled down the steps, finally colliding against the old well. Slumped against the wood, one hand hanging over the rim of the well, Kagome tried to catch her shaky breath. Her fearful gaze quickly scanned the well house, finding no trace of the pale child. She was not sure if that was a good thing or not; both relief and apprehension pulsed through her body. Then, with a mournful groan, the door slid shut and trapped her inside. A white hand shot out of the depths of the well, wrapping around her arm. With a startled yelp, Kagome fell headfirst into the darkness.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru scowled, and glanced at his phone again. He cursed the five o'clock traffic and restlessly drummed his fingers against his steering wheel. The sense of urgency that plagued him was as sharp as the worry gnawing at his guts. With absolute certainty, he knew that something was wrong, that something bad had happened.<p>

The voicemail Kagome had left him was unsettling to say the least. The message itself was mostly incoherent, but it had been her voice which had chilled the blood in Sesshoumaru's veins, the edge of panicked hysteria. He had immediately called her, but she hadn't picked up, not even after he had tried her number three more times. Now, a good ten minutes later as Sesshoumaru was speeding through Tokyo towards the Higurashi shrine, she still hadn't called him back.

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, and swallowed a growl as he had to stop at another red light. Every second felt like an hour, but finally there was that flash of green and Sesshoumaru all but floored the gas pedal. Five more minutes, he told himself. Almost there.

Sesshoumaru glanced into his rear-view mirror in passing, and almost slammed on the breaks. There, in the middle of the backseat of his car sat a little boy. He was pale, his eyes black and soulless, his short black hair dripping water onto the seats. The boy's empty black eyes bore into his in the mirror, and then he spoke.

"_You have to hurry_," his soft, dry, rasping voice hollowly echoed in his ears. "_She has Kagome._"

_That _made Sesshoumaru's skin crawl.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"Save her. HURRY!"

Sesshoumaru cursed darkly and forcefully stomped the gas pedal. He turned his head to throw a quick look over his shoulder, but the backseat was empty and the little boy gone.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>It was dark. The water reached her waist, and she was trembling and shivering as much from the cold as she was from fear. Her harsh panicked breaths bounced off the stony walls towering around her, echoing in the small closed space.<p>

She was alone and trapped. This was it; there was no getting out of here. The walls were too tall for her to climb, even if she could have found any footholds on the slippery, unyielding stone.

Lost in the sheer terror, she had no idea how long she had been in the well. It felt like an eternity, however, an eternity in the cold and the dark, imprisoned by the implacable stonewalls…

With a start and a split-second moment of complete clarity, Kagome realised that this was it. This was what had always been haunting her. This – being stuck at the bottom of the old well – was what her nightmare had always been about.

Had it been a premonition? A warning that one day, she would find herself trapped alone in this well? Or maybe it had been Kanna who had sent those dreams to her, to share and show the last moments of her life.

Alone, afraid and in despair, Kagome stood waist deep in the water, no longer able to tell if all these emotions eating her soul belonged to her or the dead girl. Her head was pounding and it felt oddly light. There was this buzzing sound in her ears, almost drowning the erratic pulse of her heart. Her arms and hands felt numb, her knees were weak. Had the darkness actually become darker? Blinking owlishly, Kagome let out a light gasp. And then the blackness swallowed her.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru parked at the side of the road and rushed out of the car. He ran up the shrine steps two, three at a time. On the top of the stone stairs, underneath the red <em>torii<em> gate, stood the same, pale boy. He didn't say a word, just had his right hand raised and pointing to the side. Sesshoumaru reached the top and turned to his left – and for a moment, stood stock still.

It was the well house. Shrouded in a thick veil of _jyaki_ which swirled lazily in the air, dark and ominous. Sesshoumaru's hands balled into fists and a growl tore from his throat. He had searched the whole shrine for signs of dark energy and he had found _nothing_. How could he have missed one as potent as this?

Unless…

He thought back to the day he had brought Naraku to inspect the shrine. He had shown particular interest in the well house, had begged to see it for himself… The memory came to him crystal clear, and Sesshoumaru saw Naraku peel away the weathered _ofuda_ that had been plastered to the door of the well house.

Of course. He snarled. The spirit inhabited the well house, and the _ofuda_ had been placed there intentionally. In his enthusiasm to see the old well, Naraku had unwittingly broken the seal and set the spirit free.

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws. He would skin the creep later. Right now, he had to save Kagome.

He crossed the yard and ran to the well house. He expected resistance, he expected a barrier of some kind, but there was nothing to bar his way and the old wooden door of the ancient building easily slid open under his fingers. Determinedly, his hands balling into fists, he stepped in.

The building was empty save for the old well. Quite unassuming, really, if not for the _jyaki_ in the air so thick he might gag. He descended the few steps to the old dirt floor, in the middle of which sat the well. The dark, swirling energy was oozing from within, and Sesshoumaru set his jaw and walked over to the wood-rimmed structure.

Standing right by the centuries-old well, he peered into the murky depths. There, at the bottom, he saw Kagome. Her dark hair was fanned out in the water, her eyes closed and face pale. It was a surreal sight, she looked almost like a doll.

And by her side, deep in the shadows of the well was the spirit, a white child with coal-black eyes, humming a disjointed melody in a hollow voice, and cradling the unconscious woman in her arms.

Then, the unsettling humming stopped and the child looked up, straight at him.

"Here at last, I see. Always the knight in shining armour." A childish giggle echoed in the stony shaft. "Though I fear you have come too late."

Sesshoumaru felt cold at the words, but his fear for Kagome was quickly losing to his anger at the ghastly girl.

"Release Kagome," he barked. "Now!"

"Now why would I do that?" the spirit sneered. "I have been very patient. I have waited for years for her to come to me."

"I will not let you have her."

"Let me?" The child laughed. It was a chilling sound, high and cold. She brushed Kagome's wet, raven locks. "But I _already_ have her."

A snarl ripped from Sesshoumaru's throat. Bright green acid dripped from the tips of his claws, sizzling as the fell to the dirt floor. Dark anger storming inside him, he spoke to the child in a feral growl.

"She is _mine_. If you want her, you have to go through me first."

The ghost's empty black eyes bore into him. Then she flashed him an eerie smile.

"No, Kagome is mine now," the pale child taunted, wrapping her dead arms tighter about the woman's shoulders. "She is beyond your saving."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes flashed in anger. Then, suddenly, a feral grin twisted his lips.

"We'll see about that," he said in a low, silky voice.

The quiet hum of power suddenly intensified. Darkness began to ooze into the air around them. Pure malice filled the small confines of the well house. An aura that could only be described as demonic pulsed all around them as it grew larger and more threatening. Its vast power roared in the air, its pressure weighed on them.

A small distressed whimper escaped from Kagome's lips.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were red now. He was still smiling, a wide, manic grin flashing his pointed fangs.

Kanna laughed again, mocking him.

"You cannot hurt me, demon, no matter how powerful you are," she rasped. "Our powers come from the same root; we are both born out of darkness and hate."

"Your pride is what led you to your fall," Sesshoumaru snarled. His words were garbled, as he hovered on the brink of transformation. "Your mistake was thinking that my youki was aimed at you."

And then a new power rose, one that was calm, light and pure. Like a bright flame it flared up to contest the oppressing evil energy. It hummed in the air in a soothing song and for a while resonated with the aura of darkness. Then it burst, like a river breaking its chains to wash over all land.

Kanna screamed when the cold burning touch of purification coursed through her.

Sesshoumaru grunted and set his jaw, bracing himself against the searing wave of purity. She was stronger than he had thought, her _reiki_ raw and untamed. The holy energy rushed through his body in a wild blaze. Then, the purity disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

Sesshoumaru jumped into the well, and gathered his girlfriend carefully into his arms. He leaped out of the well, landing softly on the dirt floor. He had just stepped from the well house out into the court yard, when Kagome's dark lashes twitched and her eyes fluttered open. He looked down at her and gently brushed the wet strands of hair from her face. Her blue eyes seemed unfocused at first, but finally her gaze settled onto him and quickly turned into a wide-eyed stare.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked, her voice hoarse and uncertain. She looked at the burning gold of his eyes, the vivid markings on his face, the sharp claws at the tips of the long fingers stroking her hair.

It would seem that her boyfriend had not been as forthcoming as she had believed; clearly there was a thing or two he had neglected to tell her about himself.

"I thought it would be unnecessary to tell you unless this thing between you and me got serious."

"So now…?" Kagome trailed off, unsure how to even phrase the question she wanted to ask.

"Things got serious," Sesshoumaru informed her rather bluntly.

The admission was enough to make her heart skip a beat. She sighed, closed her eyes and snuggled closer to the comforting wide shoulders, basking in the warmth of his tender embrace – and his feelings.

Then, her eyes suddenly shot open and her body tensed.  
>"Kanna," the name fell from her lips in a tremulous hiss. "Where is she? What happened?"<p>

"The spirit is gone," Sesshoumaru reassured her. "You purified her."

"…I…What?" Kagome gaped at him, and Sesshoumaru grinned.

"Let's get inside. We can make ourselves comfortable and have a talk."

Kagome nodded. She had a feeling that her boyfriend had quite a bit explaining to do.

* * *

><p>-~H~-<p>

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru stood to the side and watched Kagome kneel down on the pavement. She lit the incense and hung her head. Although she had left offerings at the altar she had at home, she had insisted on coming here as well. Sesshoumaru had obliged; anything for her.<p>

She had wanted to come and give proper thanks to Souta. And while Sesshoumaru was grateful to the boy for the part he had played and for protecting Kagome, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but think that the little brother was the wrong Higurashi to thank.

Staring contemplatively at the gravestone, Sesshoumaru looked back to the moment he had met Kagome's grandfather. The man had been old, he had appeared to be somewhat foolish, and his health was failing. But the eyes that had pinned him down had been clear and piercing, and the old man had burst into a dry chuckle.

"Oh yes," he had muttered in a wheezy voice, "you will do nicely."

Sesshoumaru had felt the glimmer of power in the man. It was faint and it was frail, but it was undeniably there. And if Sesshoumaru had been instantly able to tell that the old man was a priest, maybe he had been able to do the same. Maybe he had chosen Sesshoumaru as his lawyer _because_ he was a youkai.

Of course, it was all pure speculation, but Sesshoumaru could not help but feel that his nagging suspicions were correct, and that it all had ultimately been the old man's doing.

He had likely been the only one who had really known what was going on all those years ago. He could tell that the well was haunted. He had immediately realised that Souta's death had been no accident. And he had probably deduced that Kagome would be next.

He had been too weak to purify the ghost, so he had done the only thing he could; sealed the well house and the spirit it hosted. And when his years had caught up to him, he had made his will. He had chosen a youkai lawyer to execute it. He had bestowed the shrine and the ghost to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru stared at his girlfriend, and a smile rose to his lips, simultaneously both tender and proud. Power such as hers, she must have always had it. It must have manifested already when she was a child. And the old man would have noticed, he would have recognised the potential. The power was likely the reason why the spirit had been so drawn to Kagome in the first place, but in the end Grandpa Higurashi's gamble had paid off, and Kagome had prevailed.

_You won, old man_, he dryly told the dead man.

The miko said one final prayer. She rose from the ground and rested her hand on the sun-warmed stone for a moment.

"All done?" Sesshoumaru asked her gently as she turned around, his golden eyes studying her face.

"I am," she told him with a smile.

She took his hand, small fingers curling around his.

"Let's go home."

* * *

><p>.o.o. <strong>The End <strong>.o.o.

* * *

><p><strong>Chie:<strong> Before I started writing this story, I studied _kaidan_, traditional Japanese ghost stories.

I want to share with you some of the elements I incorporated in this short ghost story of mine.

**The Well **

First, the main reason why I chose to make use of the well was because of its central role in Inuyasha (I really like using canon elements in AU fics).

Second, one of the most well-known _kaidan_ titled _Banchou Sarayashiki_ features a well which the ghost of Okiku inhabits (this story was also an inspiration for the movie Ring).

Thirdly, water is a frequently used ghostly element in _kaidan_, because in Japanese religion it is a pathway to the underworld.

_**Onryou**_

Japanese vengeful ghosts. Ghostly vengeance is a common element in _kaidan_. Also, _onryou_ are often far more powerful in death than they were in life, so the vengeful ghosts are often powerless people such as servants, women and children.

**2-3 AM**

The Japanese "bewitching hour" is not at midnight, but from 2 AM to 3 AM.

**Four taps**

The ghost tapped on Kagome's window four times, because four is an unlucky number in Japan. Though the kanji 四, four, is often pronounced as yon, it can also be read as shi, which happens to be the primary reading for the kanji 死, death or to die.


End file.
